Brené Brown

If we want to find the way back to ourselves and one another, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories and to be stewards of the stories that we hear. In Atlas of the Heart, we explore eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human and walk through a new framework for cultivating meaningful connection. This is for the mapmakers and travelers in all of us.

Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

Atlas of the Heart

In her latest book, five-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr Brené Brown, writes, "If we want to find the way back to ourselves and each other, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories, and to be stewards of the stories that we hear. This is the framework for meaningful connection." In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through 87 of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and lays out an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances - a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heart-breaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection. Over the past two decades, Brown's extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are has shaped the cultural conversation and helped define what it means to be courageous with our lives. Atlas of the Heart draws on this research, as well as Brown's singular skills as a researcher/storyteller, to lay out an invaluable, research-based framework that shows us that naming an experience doesn't give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding, meaning and choice. Brown shares, "I want this to be an atlas for all of us, because I believe that, with an adventurous heart and the right maps, we can travel anywhere and never fear losing ourselves. Even when we have no idea where we are."

Emma Miller

Kevin Wammer

An absolutely essential book. It‘s a dictionary of all the different emotions, states, etc. I feel having the same definition of words while talking is a crucial factor in avoiding unnecessary frustration and even hurt feelings. Also, I believe the power of language is an essential factor in understanding and communicating our inner world fully. Read this!

Arm E

It is one of those books that I wanted to absorb myself in it wholly and finish in one sitting yet at the same time wanted to stop and step away from it to breath and digest because it was so real and from the heart (Unsurprisingly).

I've loved everything Brené Brown wrote/spoke but this book is her masterpiece IMO. We should be sleeping next to this book for the rest of our lives if we want to connect to ourselves, to our own bodies and create meaningful connections with others around us.

D D D 

I love brene brown :) Mr. Rogers-esque inspiration for pause, grounded confidence, kindness and consideration in communicating with others. Glad I read this after going on SSRIs I fear I wouldn’t have understood it 3-4 months ago.

Personal therapy in a book, beautifully written 

Bailey Dunn

Lara Engle

At times, this just seemed like a compilation of Brown's previous work without much new material. But it is beautifully published, with pull quotes galore and cartoons to illustrate key concepts. Even if it feels like a compilation, it's a good one with excellent updated information. This would be a good intro to her work, but it's also a good review.

Lisa Lindquist 

 In exploring 87 emotions through this lens, one is better able to understand their own roots within different emotions, as well as those they tend to seek or avoid. I personally feel more capable of understanding, articulating, and feeling my emotions in their entirety than I’ve ever been. Shout out Brené, “language has the power to define our experiences”, Brown<3

Erwin Lemuel Oliva

Great reading and narration by the author herself. I decided to listen to the audiobook version, and it proved interesting. The author has turned this comprehensive look at human emotion into a revealing look at how we feel. She also defines it very well with examples. Worth the listen.

Jenn Doan 

Hooman Askari

This book is like a dictionary for human emotions. Will have to go back to it and read some sections again. The audiobook performance by the author is excellent btw. 

Cindy Lieberman

Definitions of human emotions, with examples, often highly nuanced.

Stefanie Sugia

"What does it mean if the vastness of human emotion and experience can only be expressed as mad, sad, or happy? What about shame, disappointment, wonder, awe, disgust, embarrassment, despair, contentment, boredom, anxiety, stress, love, overwhelm, surprise, and all of the other emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human?"

I've been a huge fan of Brené Brown since a few years ago when I first read a book written by her. Her research helped me gain a new perspective about courage and vulnerability and changed my way of thinking about certain things. That's why I was so excited when she announced the release of this book, which talks about making meaningful connection and understanding the language of human experience. At the start of this book, Brené Brown emphasizes the importance of recognizing our emotions and being able to name them accurately—which will then help us to make meaningful connection with ourselves and others. I definitely learned so much and ended up taking a lot of notes as I'm reading. However, this book seems like an in-depth dictionary on various emotions and human experience—almost like a textbook, which can feel a bit dry at times. Brené Brown's skill at storytelling doesn't really shine through this book, that's why I ended up giving this book a 4-star rating despite learning so much from it.
"Language is our portal to meaning-making, connection, healing, learning, and self-awareness... Language shows us that naming an experience doesn't give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding and meaning."
"To form meaningful connections with others, we must first connect with ourselves, but to do either, we must first establish a common understanding of the language of emotion and human experience."
According to a survey done by the author regarding the emotions that people could recognize and name, the average number of emotions was three: happy, sad, and angry. These are very limiting because the vastness of human emotion and experience cannot be expressed with these 3 words. In Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown explored 87 emotions and experiences (thoughts that lead to emotion) which have been organized into 13 chapters according to various situations:

• Places We Go When Things Are Uncertain or Too Much;
• When We Compare;
• When Things Don't Go as Planned;
• When It's Beyond Us;
• When Things Aren't What They Seem;
• When We're Hurting, Places We Go With Others;
• When We Fall Short;
• When We Search for Connection;
• When the Heart Is Open;
• When Life Is Good;
• When We Feel Wronged;
• and Places We Go to Self-Assess.

Dividing them based on the circumstances helped me understand the meaning better as I reflect on my personal experiences regarding certain emotions. Brené Brown also give practical examples that helped me grasp the true meaning of an emotion—I have to admit that before reading this book, I misunderstood and misused some of them. Through this book, I learned the differences between empathy and sympathy. I used to think that empathy is when we have experienced what the other person is going through, while sympathy is showing compassion even when we haven't experienced it. The author dispel the myth that empathy is 'walking in someone else's shoes', but it's more about listening, understanding, and believing the other person's story. On the other hand, sympathy is nothing like empathy and it's actually a form of disconnection. That part was really mind-opening for me personally 😊.

Through this book, I also discovered the concept of near enemy and far enemy. Near enemies are states that appear similar to the desired quality but actually undermine it, while far enemies are the opposite of what we are trying to achieve. For example, the near enemy of compassion is pity—similar but different, and the far enemy is cruelty. If we're not careful, the near enemies of emotions can drive us to be disconnected even when it can look or feel like connection. It's important to understand this because most of the time, the far enemies—the real opposites—are not what get in the way in our attempt to cultivate meaningful connection with ourselves and other people.

  "There's nothing more limiting than tapping out of tension and oversimplifying the thoughts and feelings that have the power to help us understand who we are and what we need."

"One of the arguments of this book is that language matters. It's the raw material of story, it changes how we feel about ourselves and others, and it's a portal to connection. With the same amount of power, language can also be used to strip people of their dignity and humanity."
In the last chapter, Brené Brown shared a grounded theory on cultivating meaningful connection—a vulnerable practice that requires grounded confidence, the courage to walk alongside others, and story stewardship. She then explained the importance of knowing and applying the language of human experience and emotion along with other necessary skill sets to achieve these qualities, such as respecting boundaries, practicing non-judgement, practicing compassion and empathy, staying curious, embodiment, and more. This book definitely encouraged me to keep on learning about all these emotions and experiences that will allow me to form a deep connection with myself and others.

Overall, this is a wonderful book that helped me gain a new perspective and debunked some misconceptions that I have regarding certain emotion or human experience. I highly recommend this book for people who find it difficult to label/name the emotions they are currently feeling. I think the information that Brené Brown shared will help us to figure out why we are feeling a certain way and how to navigate through that emotion. I also need to remind myself that the insights I got through this book have to become a daily practice and put it to good use 😊. Looking forward to more books by Brené Brown in the future because they have impacted my life so much throughout the years! 

  "In this life, we will know and bear witness to incredible sorrow and anguish, and we will experience breathless love and joy. There will be boring days and exciting moments, low-grade disappointment and seething anger, wonder and confusion. The wild and ever-changing nature of emotions and experiences leaves our hearts stretch-marked and strong, worn and willing."

"The real gift of learning language, practicing this work, and cultivating meaningful connection is being able to go anywhere without fear of getting lost. Even when we have no idea where we are or where we're going, with the right map, we can find our way back to our heart and to our truest self."

Read my full review here:
https://www.thebookielooker.com/2022/...

Atlas of the Heart Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience

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